Metro News & Reviews

Gold Line Foothill Extension update

Work continues to progress on the “Iconic Bridge” that will carry Gold Line Foothill Extension trains over the eastbound 210 freeway.

From Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority CEO Habib Balian: “Skanska is nearly complete with the internal support structure for the I-210 Bridge superstructure. 500 tons of reinforcing steel has been installed along the 584-linear-foot structure, and internal walls are now being formed to support the bridge deck. In the coming weeks, 2,100 cubic yards of concrete will be placed within this area.”

On a related note, here is a story that ran in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune about the Measure R extension proposed by Metro staff. The gist of the story: The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments wants more details about the proposed extension — specifically which local projects it would fund. The big question yet to be resolved: would an extension fund the Gold Line to Claremont or just the first phase to Azusa, the segment now under construction and funded by Measure R? Metro CEO Art Leahy told the COG that language in the original Measure R was ambiguous and Metro staff should have more details soon.

Fund the Gold line all the way to Ontario Airport and help build the Ontario Airport up to were it can stand on it’s own so flights can return there and LAX can be reduced. You can have a regional approch and get the other counties involved to help the whole area out not just L.A. county.They need to think big and long term for the future generations.

Ontario Airport is snugly situated between two Metrolink lines. Surely it would be a better use of funds to improve airport integration with Metrolink, adding shuttles between the airport and stations on the Riverside and San Bernadino lines.

The Gold line Montclair station is a nice multimodal terminus– giving passengers access to Metrolink and local buses. Passengers from the Gold Line would have to change trains to get to the Airport. However, passengers from Downtown could do it with one Metrolink train.

The Gold Line and the SB Metrolink lines actually come close to each other in San Dimas, and a joint station could easily be built to service Fairplex and downtown LaVerne at the La Verne/North Pomona border. No need to go all the way to Montclair to create what you propose.

The Gold Line could even be re-routed to downtown Pomona (where it is needed and would be used) via White Ave.’s large-enough median to avoid building a duplicative four-track railway all the way from LaVerne to Montclair and on to Rancho Cucamonga (where the Gold Line is slated to head off to ONT) eventually.